The market is flooded with babies at this time of year due to the mass amounts of wild collected gravid female indonesian Blue-tongues that are imported. This is the birthing season for them in in the southern hemisphere. It is kind of sad to me, mainly because the big importers place large orders for Indonesian BTS in early fall so as to get as many gravid females as possible. What is even sadder is that it is my understanding that T. gigas is protected under Indonesian law, which is why these skinks are usually exported here to the US as T. scincoides. As for their care, they will eat as soon as they are born. I would not be too worried about greens at this time. I slowly start to include them into their diet so that they are getting a nice 50/50 ratio of animal to plant matter by the time they are about 1 year old. Feeding them plant matter is really of no concern at this early stage in the game. I would wait a few weeks, and then just add a very small amount to their diet. However, proper calcium supplementation will be very important. I would use a phosphorous free (no phosphorous) calcium supplement at least every other feeding.
Neonatal Care
Babies should be separated from the mother as soon as they are discovered. They can be housed together in a 20-30 (depending on the number of babies) gallon tank. They will get along fine for a few weeks, although they should be monitored closely especially during feeding time, as fights do break out. In 2-6 weeks it is a good idea to start separating the babies into their own enclosures. Skinks that are not separated will fight, causing broken legs, lost tails, and serious head wounds. These fights will often happen out of the blue and without warning, in a group of baby skinks that almost seemed to enjoy each other's company just the day before. If you choose to ignore this advice, you should brush up on your reptilian first aid skills. Ten-gallon fish tanks with 1/4-inch pegboard tops make great rearing tanks for baby blue-tongues. Baby skinks should be kept warm with basking temperatures of 90-95 degrees and ambient temperatures of 85-90 degrees. There should be little or no drop in temperature at night. I recommend that babies be kept on either newspaper or artificial turf so as to prevent them from accidentally ingesting any substrate, which could cause an impaction or even death. Baby blue-tongues should be fed every day, or at least every other day, a diet similar to that of adults, with care being taken that there are no pieces that could be too big for baby skinks to swallow.
Substrate:
There are many different opinions on the subject of substrate. I have personally tried many of them myself, and I have found that newspaper, Care-fresh, and artificial-turf have all proven to be effective substrates for me. Cypress mulch is also frequently used and recommended by many keepers. Aspen Bedding has been used by many hobbyists, but it contains long sharp slivers can work their way into the skinks nostrils, eyes, or vent, causing serious injury. It is also hard to keep it out of the skinks food, and can cause very serious problems when ingested. I also avoid orchid bark for the same reasons and because of the possibility of respiratory and skin problems as a result from the red dust that it produces. Note: Never use cedar chips due to the toxic oils that they secrete.
Blue-tongues will often burrow in their substrate if given the opportunity (especially when kept in a glass tank). They do this simply out of convenience, in an effort to get under something and out of sight from potential dangers. Blue-tongues are not burrowing lizards by nature, rather they are opportunistic shelter seekers that do not need a substrate to burrow in if given appropriate hides and an enclosure that provides them with some sense of security.
Sand is also not recommended, mainly because it is very hard to maintain. Blue-tongues can be very messy lizards, causing the sand to have a very unpleasant odor in a relatively short period of time, and it is just not practical to replace the sand as often as you will need to. It is often pointed out to me that sand is often encountered in the wild by many blue-tongue species. However, that does not change the fact that it can get into your skinks eyes, nose, and food, unnecessarily causing potential health risks to your skink. The reason for this is that in the wild the skink is not forced to be in constant contact with the sand 24 hours a day, for its entire life, as it would be in captivity. Let me try to explain. Many of the lizards from the south-western United Stated come in close contact with many different Cactus species. However, cactus is not the best choice of cage décor for these lizards in captivity. The point is, just because something is encountered in the wild, does not automatically make it beneficial in captivity. In captivity we should try to duplicate the beneficial aspects of the wild while decreasing the dangerous and rigorous aspects that the wild also presents.
Lights and Heat:
There are many opinions in regards to lizards and full-spectrum lighting. While it has proven to play an important role in the development and vitamin D3 synthesis of many Iguanid and Agamid species, I am not totally convinced that it is absolutely necessary for the proper growth and development of Blue-tongued Skinks. There are many reports of blue-tongues being raised without any exposure to full-spectrum lighting. However, in the wild, blue-tongues do bask in the sun. Weather this is for UV light benefits, or simply just to raise their body temp, is still in question. I personally believe it to be primarily for the purposes of thermoregulation, and the synthesis of vitamin D3, and I cannot discount the possibility of additional benefits. I would much rather play it safe than sorry, and I still believe that the potential psychological and physiological benefits of full-spectrum lighting make it well worth the effort. A photo-period of 12 hours on and 12 hours off can be established and controlled through the use of a household appliance timer. I maintain this 12-hour photo-period for the entire year, with the exception of when I am cycling my skinks for breeding. A thermogradiant should be established in the cage by providing a basking site of 90-95 degrees at one end of the enclosure while maintaining temperatures of 80-85 degrees at the cool end. This can be accomplished by using an under tank heating pad or spotlight of appropriate wattage, and it will allow the skink to control its body temperature my means of thermoregulation. Night-time temperatures of 70-75 degrees are acceptable.
Water:
Water should be available to your blue-tongue at all times. Be sure that the container is heavy and stable enough to prevent the skink from tipping it over. On occasion, skinks like to soak in their water bowls. They usually do this a few days before they shed. If you can provide them with a large enough bowl to accomplish this, it will aid them in the shedding process. Some Blue-tongued Skinks also have the unsavory habit of defecating in their water bowls. It is important that the water bowl be washed in soap and water whenever this occurs.
Feeding:
In their natural environment Blue-tongued Skinks are opportunistic feeders. This is an adaptation that suits their omnivorous tastes perfectly, making it possible for them to eat almost anything that comes their way, or anything they happen to stumble onto. In the wild they are known to eat arthropods, snails, baby rodents, and other small animals. Blue-tongues also take advantage of the native fruits, berries, flowers, and grasses, readily consuming them when available. By not being specialized hunters with prey specific needs, Blue-tongued Skinks have gained an edge over their reptilian competition, which explains their strong presence in so many different Australian habitats, including urban backyards and gardens.
Skink Mix:
In captivity, I do my best to duplicate the blue-tongue's natural diet. If there were only one word that I could give as advice to a new blue-tongue owner, in regard to proper Blue-tongue nutrition, it would have to be variety. For the Blue-tongued Skink, variety is not only the spice of life; it is a way of life. My skinks relish my cooking, and I have devised a skink mix that makes up for the majority of their diet. This mix is easy to freeze and store in individual zip lock bags. I try to maintain a ratio of 50-60% animal matter to 40-50% Plant matter in their mix. I always try to include new ingredients, when making the mix, so that it is never exactly the same. I have listed some of the items that I frequently use in my mix below.
Animal Matter:
Canned premium cat or dog food (I usually use chicken flavored cat food), moistened monkey chow, ground turkey, dry premium dog or cat food (moistened), hard boiled eggs, lean cuts of meat, boiled chicken, imitation crab meat (sparingly), caned reptile diets, moistened turtle pellets, and moistened koi pellets (sparingly)
Plant Matter:
Chopped mustard, collard, beet, and turnip greens, dandelion greens and flowers, hibiscus flowers (take care that no pesticides or herbicides are present), chopped kale (sparingly), fresh, canned, and thawed frozen fruits, canned or frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, and green beans), grated squash, carrots, apples, and potatoes, moistened iguana diet, and cooked pasta
Supplemental Food Items:
Most insects are taken readily by Blue-tongued skinks. If you are feeding insects, that you have collected, to your skink, it is important to make sure that there is no chance of them being contaminated with pesticides. You can purchase crickets at most pet stores, and they are available in bulk through a large number of mail order companies that advertise in reptile related magazines. Also available are mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), superworms (Zophobas atrauts), waxworms, and sometimes earthworms. Snails are relished with delight by most blue-tongues, but again, you should be certain that no pesticides are present. Rat-pups are great for skinks that are a bit thin and need to put on some weight, and young adult mice make an excellent weekly supplement for gravid females. I also like to offer my skinks an occasional fruit meal consisting of ripe strawberries, peaches, mangos, or canned fruit cocktail.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation:
A quality calcium supplement with vitamin D3 is an important factor in maintaining most lizards, including Blue-tongued Skinks. Make sure it is phosphorous free, and do not over supplement. Sprinkle a small amount on the food every other feeding for babies and gravid females, and every third feeding for all other adults. If given a varied diet, blue-tongues will not need any other vitamin or mineral supplements.
Stacey
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